Pennsylvania Personal Injury Blog

On August 10, a SEPTA bus plowed into the side of the Belgian restaurant Monk’s Cafe in Center City, PA. The Philadelphia Inquirer reported that the bus driver and two Delaware River Port Authority officers, who were also involved in the crash, suffered minor injuries. According to the article, after a police car apparently struck a pole across the street from Monk’s, the No. 2 SEPTA bus swerved to avoid the police vehicle and hit the front of the pub.

The accident crushed the entrance to the pub and forced more than a dozen residents in the building to evacuate the apartments above the restaurant.

The restaurant had to close for at least a week due to the property damage and tenants were forced to stay elsewhere temporarily.

The entrance and hallway leading to Monk’s restaurant was partially collapsed.

The victims here who were injured in the bus accident would be well advised to seek the advice of an experienced Philadelphia accident lawyer from Cherry, Fieger, and Marciano, LLP. They will review all relevant facts to assist in determining which party was at fault and who should assume responsibilities. Some factors that may be of importance during this process may include road conditions, weather conditions, the condition of the vehicles involved (i.e., faulty or defective auto parts), and whether or not alcohol or drugs were involved. You can collect compensation for medical treatment, pain and suffering, even punitive damages designed to discourage others from acting negligently.

The displaced residents would also be well advised to contact an attorney who can look out for their rights.

On June 8, at least 40 students were taken to Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia after an accident involving two school buses on their way to Pepper Middle School. According to this article in The Philadelphia Inquirer many of children had minor injuries.

Two adults also sustained minor injuries in the accident, in which one bus rear-ended the other on the 2700 block of Island Avenue in Southwest Philadelphia. About 45 students received medical attention.

The article reported that there were several windows shattered in one of the buses, sending glass onto the floor and seats, and all the children fell on the floor after being thrown into the backs of the seats in front of them. The bus had no seat belts.

If you or a loved one has been injured in an accident, the Philadelphia traffic accident lawyers at Cherry, Fieger, and Marciano will review all relevant facts to assist in determining which party was at fault and who should assume responsibilities. Some factors that may be of importance during this process may include road conditions, weather conditions, the condition of the vehicles involved (i.e., faulty or defective auto parts), and whether or not alcohol or drugs were involved.

Your physical and emotional injuries associated with the Pennsylvania bus accident are extremely important, and may result in compensation for pain and suffering, loss of future income, and loss of current income due to inability to perform job duties.

Cherry, Fieger, and Marciano have years of experience representing PA auto accident cases, including bus accident injury and pedestrian accident injury cases. Call today for a free consultation with one of our experienced lawyers.

On May 2, a Honda Civic struck a charter bus carrying 45 people headed from Pittsburgh to Brooklyn. It caused a multi-vehicle accident in northern New Jersey. The driver of the Honda was killed.

According to the article on Philly.com, the 37-year-old driver of the Honda tentatively was heading the wrong way on Interstate 78 when it hit an SUV then spun into the bus.

The article said it was not clear why the driver was traveling in the wrong direction.

The SUV driver and their passenger were not hurt, however the bus driver sustained a broken ankle. About a dozen passengers reported minor injuries.

Every day throughout the country families are devastated when innocent loved ones die as the result of traffic accidents. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) there were 33,963 auto accident related fatalities in the United States in 2009.

The Philadelphia Pennsylvania traffic accident lawyers at Cherry, Fieger, and Marciano, LLP have the experience and knowledge that are necessary to represent clients involved in even the most complex car accident cases. When preparing your case, our skilled team of attorneys will review all relevant facts to assist in determining which party was at fault and who should assume responsibilities. Some factors that may be of importance during this process may include road conditions, weather conditions, the condition of the vehicles involved (i.e., faulty or defective auto parts), and whether or not alcohol or drugs were involved.

If your vehicle sustained any damage in the incident, repairs can be assessed by a body shop. Of course, your physical and emotional injuries associated with the PA bus accident are of extreme importance, and may result in compensation for pain and suffering, loss of future income, and loss of current income due to inability to perform job duties.

A 6-year-old boy died after being hit by a school bus on March 22 in the Pine River, Minnesota. According to this article, the boy was struck after being let off the bus.

Authorities are still investigating how the accident happened.

When needless death occurs due to negligence of another party, wrongful death lawsuits can be filed. However, every family’s situation is different and exploring this avenue may not actually be what is best for a particular family.

In wrongful death lawsuits, the decedent’s heirs sue the negligent party or parties for damages related to the loss of life and their own pain and suffering. It is recommended that families who think their family member’s death was wrongful first contact a wrongful death attorney for a case assessment. If the case is valid, the attorney can help investigate the claim, gather evidence, represent them in court, and collect the compensation they deserve.

Continue reading "Boy Killed by School Bus in Minnesota" »

On February 17, 2010, a 38-year-old school bus driver was driving a Perkiomen Valley school bus in Montgomery County when it collided with an oncoming car, killing a passenger in the car and seriously injuring its driver.

According to this article in the Philadelphia Inquirer, the school bus driver had previous citations and was involved in a fatal accident.

When a prospective employer checked the school bus motorist’s driving record, there were only two 1999 citations listed, careless driving and failing to heed a stop sign.

But, in November 1999, the male school bus driver had been on his cell phone when his Ford Explorer went through a stop sign in Bucks County and caused an accident that killed a 2-year-old girl and injured her mother. The fatal car accident in Pennsylvania led to a lawsuit resulting in a six-figure settlement.

The November of 1999 accident resulted in two violations for the 38-year-old man, one of which carried points. Neither the criminal nor motor-vehicle reports showed any record of the man being charged with a crime or any details about the 1999 accident.

The February 17th accident killed a 27-year-old man and seriously injured a 41-year-old man.
The article said that the bus carrying 45 children was turning across traffic into the Perkiomen Valley Middle School West parking lot when it collided with a Honda Civic carrying the two aforementioned men.

The 38-year old school bus driver was not hurt, but five students were treated at the scene for minor injuries.

Continue reading "School Bus Driver in Montgomery County Fatal Crash Has Bad Record" »

A 42-year-old man was critically injured on Jan. 11, 2008 after getting hit by a car right after stepping off a SEPTA bus in Frankford, PA. According to an article in the Philadelphia Daily News, he is suing the transit agency and the drivers of the bus and car.

The injured man was struck unconscious and is now confined to a wheelchair with limited mobility in his arms and legs.

The article stated that instead of pulling over into the bus lane, the driver stopped in the traveling lane to let passengers off at Bridge Street.

After the man got off the bus, he was struck by a Mazda that was trying to pass the bus on the right.

The lawsuit says that as a result of the defendants’ negligence and intentional acts, the man suffered “neurological damage, paralysis, speech impediment, loss of motor function, excruciating and agonizing pain.” The lawsuit was filed September 22 in Common Pleas Court. The suit seeks a jury trial and more than $50,000. The injured man said he has and will incur enormous medical bills in excess of one million dollars.

Continue reading "SEPTA Drivers Sued Over Auto Accident" »

A federal investigation concluded that a bus driver is to blame for a school bus crash in Bucks County, PA that injured 20 students, including a girl whose leg had to be amputated.

According to an article from phillyburbs.com, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) said the January 2007 accident happened when the driver hit the wrong pedal.
The bus drove into a crowd outside Pennsbury High School. It hit a retaining wall and injured the students.

In March 2007, police said the accident happened due to unintentional acceleration after the bus driver confused the gas and brake pedals. The driver said that he didn’t hit the wrong pedal and that the bus suddenly lurched forward.

The families of the injured victims here would be well advised to obtain the services of an experienced, skilled, and knowledgeable personal injury attorney who will do a thorough investigation.

Continue reading "Federal Board Blames Driver for 2007 Bus Crash in Bucks" »

Eleven spectators were injured when two school buses crashed into a restraining wall at a demolition derby-style race in Ohio.

According to this article, the accident happened on May 23 when the buses were racing in figure eights around the Columbus Motor Speedway track. The race was one of several taking place at a Crash-A-Rama event.

One spectator had to shield her 18-month-old daughter from flying debris and saw people get hit by chunks of concrete from the 4-foot-high wall.

The article said 11 people were taken to nearby hospitals with cuts, bruises, and some ankle injuries as a result of the bus accident.

The injured victims here may need the the services of a skilled personal injury attorney who will do a thorough investigation into this accident. Their attorney should be looking causes for this accident.

The experienced Pennsylvania personal injury lawyers at Cherry, Fieger & Marciano use their knowledge, their aptitude and their ability in pursuit of obtaining considerable damages for the injured party.

Experts of the medical and technical fields are called in to provide much needed insight with subject matter including structural engineering, environmental engineering, general and specified medicine as well as accident reconstruction. Working with these experts greatly helps in the building of a strong case. If you or someone you know has been injured due to negligence in Pennsylvania, we can assist you in evaluating your case. Contact a skilled Philadelphia personal injury attorney at Cherry, Fieger & Marciano today.

An 8-year-old Camden, NJ boy was seriously injured in a vehicle accident on April 27 after he was hit by a NJ Transit bus and trapped beneath it.

According to this article from philly.com, the boy was riding the handlebars of a bicycle with a 17-year-old boy in April when the bus struck the bicycle at the intersection of Haddon Avenue and Cooper Street. Police said the younger boy was caught underneath the bus and had to be freed by rescue crews. He was taken to Cooper University Hospital in Camden, where he underwent surgery.

There were no passengers on the bus. According to the article, the bus had just completed all stops on the 419 line, which runs from Burlington City to Camden. The bus was headed to a garage when the auto accident happened.

The family of this boy will need the services of an experienced, skilled, and knowledgeable personal injury attorney who will do a thorough investigation. Their attorney should be looking at other causes for this accident like a dangerous intersection, bad brakes, and so on.

The skilled Pennsylvania personal injury lawyers at Cherry, Fieger & Marciano use their knowledge, their aptitude and their ability in pursuit of obtaining considerable damages for the injured party.

Experts of the medical and technical fields are called in to provide much needed insight with subject matter including structural engineering, environmental engineering, general and specified medicine as well as accident reconstruction. Working with these experts greatly helps in the building of a strong case. If you or someone you know has been injured due to negligence in Pennsylvania, we can assist you in evaluating your case. Contact an experienced Philadelphia personal injury lawyer at Cherry, Fieger & Marciano today by calling 888-845-2706.

Philadelphia police and SEPTA officials are continuing their investigation into the death of a man in a wheelchair, Milton Boneta, who was struck by a SEPTA bus at Eighth Street and Girard Avenue in Philadelphia on April 17.

According to this article in The Philadelphia Inquirer, 61-year-old Boneta was crossing Eighth Street in his motorized wheelchair when the bus hit him while making a left turn.

Boneta already lost a leg in September when a SEPTA bus hit him near the same location, which is why he was in a wheelchair.

Police are sorting out the details and have interviewed about 35 witnesses.

The SEPTA driver remains at work, but has been taken off his route.

Witnesses to the bus accident in Philadelphia said the wheelchair had gotten lodged under the bus and dragged about 100 feet before the bus veered onto the curb-less sidewalk and came to a halt. Boneta was pronounced dead at the scene.

The victim’s family would be well advised to contact a competent and skilled PA personal injury attorney with a good track record in order to pursue legal action against the person whose negligent behavior caused Mr Boneta’s death. The right lawyer can help assess the case, gather evidence, negotiate between parties, and obtain compensation for trauma and costs.

There are up to 65,000 injuries a year due to pedestrian accidents. And 5,000 or more pedestrians die every year in pedestrian accidents.

The unshielded human body is just not designed to stand up to the impact of a passenger vehicle, truck, or other conveyance. The pedestrian can be flung and suffer severe impact, such as brain injury, paralysis, broken bones, even disfigurement or death. Though urban areas increase higher pedestrian accident rates than the country, rural pedestrian accidents can be even more tragic due to crashes that occur at high velocities. Males are far more likely to be injured in pedestrian accidents, most of which occur on the weekends.

The Pennsylvania pedestrian accident attorneys at Cherry, Fieger & Marciano know how stressful and scary pedestrian accidents can be. They have a long track record helping people bring negligent drivers to justice for pedestrian accidents. They offer a free consultation to anyone with questions about whether their pedestrian accident could result in a valid lawsuit.

A man in a motorized wheelchair was killed in a Philadelphia pedestrian accident, according to this news report in the Philadelphia Inquirer. The wheelchair-bound man was reportedly crossing Eighth Street from the west when a westbound bus turning left on to Eighth from Girard Avenue struck the man. The wheelchair lodged in the bus' undercarriage and the man was dragged about 100 feet before the bus came to a halt.

The victim suffered severe injuries and died at the scene. SEPTA's systems safety engineers are looking into the condition of the bus' brakes and other aspects of its equipment. The bus driver has apparently been a SEPTA bus operator for 16 years. The driver is also being questioned and tested for drugs and/or alcohol. In this case, if the bus driver was found to have been driving recklessly or operating under the influence, both he and his employer, South Eastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA), can be held liable.

SEPTA can also be held liable if it is determined that they did not maintain their vehicles properly and that their bus suffered a mechanical malfunction as a result of that lack of vehicle maintenance. If that Philadelphia intersection is determined to be a dangerous roadway or intersection, the city could be held liable for the bus accident in Pennsylvania.

In such auto versus pedestrian accidents, the victims' families would be well-served to consult with an experienced Philadelphia auto accident attorney, who will be able to thoroughly examine the investigative reports and determine exactly who should be held accountable. If you or a loved one has been seriously injured in a Philadelphia auto accident, please call Cherry, Fieger and Marciano LLP for a free consultation and case evaluation.

A Chambersburg Area School District bus was rear-ended by a power company’s utility truck on Mont Alto Road. According to a recent news report in The Record Herald, Jeffery Lynn Kriner, 46, of Chambersburg was driving an Allegheny Power bucket truck northbound on Mont Alto Road when he struck the parked school bus.

According to Pennsylvania State Police, the truck versus bus collision happened as the school bus had stopped to pick up two students when Kriner crashed into the rear of the bus. Three Fayetteville Elementary students who had suffered minor injuries were treated at area hospitals. Kriner was taken to York Hospital for treatment and has been released since. The bus driver and other children in the bus were not injured in the accident. Kriner has been cited for traffic violations including failure to drive a vehicle at a safe speed, careless driving and meeting or overtaking a school bus, the report said.

Based on this account, Kriner can be held liable for causing the accident and the injuries to the three children. If it is determined he was on-the-job at the time of the crash then his employer may be held responsible as well. A skilled Pennsylvania bus accident attorney will help the injured victims and their families identify all the negligent parties and hold them responsible.

Cherry, Fieger and Marciano is a law firm that is experienced in Pennsylvania motor vehicle accident cases. Our top Philadelphia auto accident attorneys will evaluate your case promptly to determine the facts and who or what was responsible for your injury accident. If you are a victim of an auto accident that you believe was the result of another motorist’s negligence or failure to follow the law, then you should contact our Philadelphia lawyers to set up a free initial consultation. As the injured party, you deserve to be compensated for pain and suffering, medical expenses, loss of wages and other related expenses.

On Saturday, February 14, a SEPTA bus driver choked on a throat lozenge and lost control of the bus in Wynnefield Heights, causing the bus to hit five parked cars on one side of the road. It then dragged a green Cadillac across the street and knocked down a utility pole in its path.

According to this article that appeared in The Philadelphia Daily News, the bus driver and six passengers were taken to local hospitals where they were treated for minor injuries.

The bus also destroyed a red and white metal awning and a brown metal rocker at a home owned by Claudia Conway before smashing into the brick front of a house owned by Wanda Kee Taliaferro.

The day after the bus accident in Pennsylvania, plywood covered the hole in Taliaferro’s house, a utility pole had been erected and the downed wires, which no longer worked, remained on both sides of the street. Deep tire treads from the bus and car crossed the lawns of two properties.

Fortunately, Taliaferro was not home at the time of the Wynnefield Heights auto accident. At least five houses may have structural damage. A structural engineer will inspect the damaged houses.

Continue reading "Wynnefield Heights SEPTA Bus Crashes Into Neighborhood" »

Two former University of Rhode Island students have settled a lawsuit that accused them of causing the death of a college student from Richboro, Bucks County, Pa., who was crushed by a bus in Newport, R. I. in 2004 in a bus accident.

According to this article by the Associated Press that appeared on Philly.com, the two students, Jarrad Rocheleau and Loren Welsh, reached the agreement with the parents of Francis J. Marx V, who accused them of scuffling with their son early on May 20, 2004. The accident caused the Fairfield University senior to fall into the path of a bus being used for a pub-crawl.

The wrongful death lawsuit began two weeks ago in Superior Court and was resolved before closing arguments on February 10.

Rocheleau and Welsh admitted no wrongdoing as part of the settlement. The article stated that the settlement was for less than the $5 million sought by Marx’s parents.

After a formal dance at one of Newport’s mansions with his girlfriend, Marx got into a heated argument with a group of URI students celebrating their impending graduation with a pub-crawl.

Continue reading "Pennsylvania Suit Settled In Student Bus Death" »

Federal investigators are looking into what caused a tour bus accident on February 1 on a rural Arizona highway. The crash killed seven Chinese tourists and injured 10 others.

According to this article on Philly.com, tourists left Las Vegas for the Grand Canyon the Friday before the accident. They were returning from their trip when the bus went across a median and rested along the southbound lanes of the highway.

The National Transportation Safety Board spokesman said the investigative team would be measuring and photographing the site, evaluating the condition of the highway, and looking for skid marks.

After inspecting the bus accident site, the investigators will evaluate the bus, including checking whether the wheels and brakes were in good working order and if any mechanical malfunctions may have caused the accident.

Continue reading "Investigators Comb Tour Bus Crash Site For Clues" »

Ricky Lee Smiley, 43, of Centre Township was convicted of involuntary manslaughter in a Pennsylvania school bus crash on Sept. 26, 2006 that killed a teacher's aide. The West Perry School Board member was found to be guilty of a summary charge of careless driving in the head-on crash between the bus Smiley was driving and a Ford Explorer driven by Susan E. Switaj, 39, of Landisburg.

Things could have been much worse for Smiley. The jury that deliberated about 90 minutes acquitted Smiley of a homicide by vehicle charge, a third-degree felony that could have meant up to 12 months in prison. The lesser charge of involuntary manslaughter that Smiley was convicted of constitutes a first-degree misdemeanor.

Bus accidents are among the most dangerous of all motor vehicle accidents in Pennsylvania. The added weight and lack of maneuverability of busses makes them dangerous when traveling at high speeds, and it doesn’t take much for a driver to lose control of them. When the busses are carrying schoolchildren, matters get nothing but more complicated. School buses are not equipped with restraint systems, and small children can be utterly defenseless during a bus crash.

If you or someone you love has been involved in a school bus accident in Pennsylvania, please contact Cherry Fieger and Marciano, LLP today for a free consultation with one of our experienced Philadelphia, Pennsylvania bus crash lawyers.

A National Traffic Safety Board (NTSB) investigative hearing on a fatal bus crash in Texas began on Tuesday. According to this article, there were no motor safety officers on duty when the unsafe bus crossed the US border into Texas. Hours later it caused a fatal bus crash that killed one man and injured 47 others.

According to NTSB investigator Pete Kotowski, "no safety inspection was conducted.”
The bus was returning to Houston from Monterrey, Mexico when it crashed near Victoria, Texas. The driver veered off the road and overcorrected, which caused it to flip and strike a guardrail.

NTSB regulator Debbie Hersman, who chaired the hearing, said loopholes were used to put the bus on the road even though, by federal safety standards, it was an unsafe or defective motor vehicle.

She also said federal government systems used by enforcement and registration officials are not adequate to detect which passenger-carrying vehicles fail to meet federal safety standards.

Continue reading "Unsafe Bus Enters United States Without Safety Inspection" »

One center city SEPTA bus killed a woman and another seriously injured a man in a wheelchair this week, according to a Philadelphia Daily News report. The 2 SEPTA bus accidents are currently under investigation. Angelina Conti, 74, of Porter Street, was running errands when she was struck by the bus at Broad and Oregon Avenue. She was rushed to the hospital with severe head trauma and died 2 days later.

Three hours before Conti passed away, a SEPTA bus struck and seriously injured a man in a wheelchair on 8th Street.

A SEPTA spokesperson said Conti was walking across Broad Street when she was hit by the bus as it turned onto North Broad. She was well within the crosswalk and officials do not know why the fatal Philadelphia bus accident occurred.

In the other incident, according to police, the Route 47 bus turned onto 8th Street from Girard Avenue just as Donald Jones, 47, rolled his wheelchair into the crosswalk.
One witness said he watched in horror as Jones was dragged screaming down the street. His legs and wheelchair were crushed under the weight of the bus. He was treated for injuries at a nearby hospital. SEPTA officials said that neither the driver nor the victim saw each other because of trucks parked near the corner. The officials also said the victims both had the right of way when they were hit.

Continue reading "Philadephia Bus Accident Victims Had Right of Way" »